High field CdS detector for infrared radiation

New and highly sensitive method of detecting infrared irradiation makes possible solid state infrared detector which is more sensitive near room temperature than usual photoconductive low band gap semiconductor devices. Reconfiguration of high field domains in cadmium sulphide crystals provides basis for discovery

Rotational Dynamics of Organic Cations in CH3NH3PbI3 Perovskite

Methylammonium lead iodide (CH3NH3PbI3) based solar cells have shown impressive power conversion efficiencies of above 20%. However, the microscopic mechanism of the high photovoltaic performance is yet to be fully understood. Particularly, the dynamics of CH3NH3+ cations and their impact on relevant processes such as charge recombination and exciton dissociation are still poorly understood. Here, using elastic and quasi-elastic neutron scattering techniques and group theoretical analysis, we studied rotational modes of the CH3NH3+ cation in CH3NH3PbI3. Our results show that, in the cubic (T > 327K) and tetragonal (165K < T < 327K) phases, the CH3NH3+ ions exhibit four-fold rotational symmetry of the C-N axis (C4) along with three-fold rotation around the C-N axis (C3), while in orthorhombic phase (T < 165K) only C3 rotation is present. Around room temperature, the characteristic relaxation times for the C4 rotation is found to be ps while for the C3 rotation ps. The -dependent rotational relaxation times were fitted with Arrhenius equations to obtain activation energies. Our data show a close correlation between the C4 rotational mode and the temperature dependent dielectric permittivity. Our findings on the rotational dynamics of CH3NH3+ and the associated dipole have important implications on understanding the low exciton binding energy and slow charge recombination rate in CH3NH3PbI3 which are directly relevant for the high solar cell performance

High field CdS detector for infrared radiation

An infrared radiation detector including a cadmium sulfide platelet having a cathode formed on one of its ends and an anode formed on its other end is presented. The platelet is suitably doped such that stationary high-field domains are formed adjacent the cathode when based in the negative differential conductivity region. A negative potential is applied to the cathode such that a high-field domain is formed adjacent to the cathode. A potential measuring probe is located between the cathode and the anode at the edge of the high-field domain and means are provided for measuring the potential at the probe whereby this measurement is indicative of the infrared radiation striking the platelet

Threshold exceedances and cumulative ozone exposure indices at tropical suburban site

This study provides the first analysis of threshold exceedances and cumulative ozone exposure indices from Pune, a tropical suburban site in India. We used the directives on ozone pollution in ambient air provided by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, and by the World Health Organization to assess the air quality from in situ measurements of surface ozone (during the years 2003-2006). We find that the exposure-plant response index (Accumulated exposure Over a Threshold of 40 ppb (AOT40)) and target values for protection of human health (8-h > 60 ppb) are regularly surpassed. This is a concern for agricultural and human health. Air-mass classification based on back-air trajectories shows that the excess of AOT40 values is quite plausibly due to long-range transport of background ozone and its precursors to the measurement site

Flux melting in BSCCO: Incorporating both electromagnetic and Josephson couplings

Multilevel Monte Carlo simulations of a BSCCO system are carried out including both Josephson as well as electromagnetic couplings for a range of anisotropies. A first order melting transition of the flux lattice is seen on increasing the temperature and/or the magnetic field. The phase diagram for BSCCO is obtained for different values of the anisotropy parameter $\gamma$. The best fit to the experimental results of D. Majer {\it et al.} [Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf 75}, 1166 (1995)] is obtained for $\gamma\approx 250$ provided one assumes a temperature dependence $\lambda^2(0)/\lambda^2(T)=1-t$ of the penetration depth with $t=T/T_c$. Assuming a dependence $\lambda^2(0)/\lambda^2(T)=1-t^2$ the best fit is obtained for $\gamma\approx 450$. For finite anisotropy the data is shown to collapse on a straight line when plotted in dimensionless units which shows that the melting transition can be satisfied with a single Lindemann parameter whose value is about 0.3. A different scaling applies to the $\gamma=\infty$ case. The energy jump is measured across the transition and for large values of $\gamma$ it is found to increase with increasing anisotropy and to decrease with increasing magnetic field. For infinite anisotropy we see a 2D behavior of flux droplets with a transition taking place at a temperature independent of the magnetic field. We also show that for smaller values of anisotropy it is reasonable to replace the electromagnetic coupling with an in-plane interaction represented by a Bessel function of the second kind ($K_0$), thus justifying our claim in a previous paper.Comment: 12 figures, revtex

Assessment of genetic variability and character association for grain yield and its component traits in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

A study was conducted for estimating genetic variability and characters association for eleven yield components using 169 genotypes (13 parents, 78 F1 and 78 F2) of bread wheat through half-diallel mating design during rabi season 2012-13 and 2013-14. The genetic variability, heritability in broad sense, genetic advance, correlation coefficients and path analysis were carried out for the assessment of genotypes through eleven yield component traits namely; days to 50% flowering, days to maturity, plant height, spike length, number of effective tillers per plant, number of grains per spikelet, number of grains per spike, 1000-grain weight, biological yield per plant, harvest index and grain yield per plant. Analysis of variance showed significant differences (at1% level of significance) for all the traits under study in both the generations (F1 and F2). The phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) and genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV) were high for plant height followed by number of effective tillers per plant, biological yield per plant, grain yield per plant, while high heritability coupled with high genetic advance were recorded for plant height and spike length in both F1 and F2 generations, respectively. Grain yield per plant was positively and significantly associated with a number of effective tillers per plant, spike length, number of grains per spike, 1000-grain weight, biological yield per plant and harvest index while significantly but negatively associated with plant height. Path analysis revealed that the traits namely biological yield per plant, number of effective tillers per plant, number of grains per spike, plant height and harvest index exhibited positive direct effects on grain yield at both phenotypic and genotypic level in both generation (F1 and F2). These results, thereby suggests that yield improvement in breads wheats could be possible by emphasizing these traits while making selections in early generations

Practical long-distance quantum key distribution system using decoy levels

Quantum key distribution (QKD) has the potential for widespread real-world applications. To date no secure long-distance experiment has demonstrated the truly practical operation needed to move QKD from the laboratory to the real world due largely to limitations in synchronization and poor detector performance. Here we report results obtained using a fully automated, robust QKD system based on the Bennett Brassard 1984 protocol (BB84) with low-noise superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) and decoy levels. Secret key is produced with unconditional security over a record 144.3 km of optical fibre, an increase of more than a factor of five compared to the previous record for unconditionally secure key generation in a practical QKD system.Comment: 9 page